"Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice. . .

. . . that's what little girls are made of!"


Project: Angora Bolero from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies.
Yarn: Sirdar Romance (2 skeins)
Made for: Juliana, la hija del Gordo y Amanda



Y aquí está la nena, con el bolero puesto, y comiendo su botita! ¡Qué linda está!

And here's a picture of Anna wearing the purple Little Jive shrug I made!

Finished Projects for Special Children!

The first two items have already been gifted, and the girls' shrugs are Christmas presents -- WHAT? It's not even Thanksgiving yet and two Christmas gifts are DONE? It's a miracle!

I'm hoping I'll get pictures of the items in use!

Project: Sirdar's Design F Boys Slipover, or as I like to call it, "Little Professor Vest."
Yarn: Spud and Chloe worsted, cotton/wool
Size: 5 years old
Made for: Miles





Project: Blu from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Rowan Denim, cotton
Size made: 18 months
Made for: Kamran

The little patch is made out of felt and I embroidered his initials.

I love this pattern. And I bet they're the most comfortable pair of jeans a person could wear!



Project: Little Jive Shrug by Sublime
Yarn: Queensland Pima Fresca, 100% cotton
Size: 7 years old
Made for: Sophie

(I want one of these for me!)


Project: Pippa by Martin Storey
Yarn: Kudo by Plymouth, cotton/rayon/silk
Size: 8 years
Made for: Anna

Cardi Time

It's a happy (and rare) day when I actually finish a project I plan to wear myself!

Project: "Lemongrass Bolero" pattern by Stephanie Japel (Glampyre)
Yarn: Madil Giamaica







Project: Louisa Harding "Tide," from Beachcomber Bay
Yarn: Saucy by Reynolds



Now, when it comes to baby things, I'm much better at finishing those! Debbie's granddaughter was born this spring, and this little cardi was fun to make!

Project: "Little Daisy Cardigan" pattern by Sublime Yarns
Yarn: Baby Cotsoy (Queensland Collection)

Aw, look how adorable she is! And her name, Peyton, is so cute, too!

LadyBird Socks for Bug

Great-niece Cate, also known as "Bug" by her parents, turned one back when I was broken-ankled, so her present didn't get finished until recently. These are the Ladybird Shoes from 50 Baby Bootees to Knit by Zoe Mellor.

So that they would fit a one-year old instead of a baby, I used worsted weight yarn (Berroco Comfort). I also added a cuff, as in some of the other bootee patterns in the book, and I made a double sole, so there are NO BUMPS to bother her feet! (The smooth face of the stockinette stitch is where her foot will be!

Other modification was not to do the spots fair aisle, but rather to embroider them on before I sewed up the back seam. Cute shoes, but lots of needlework after the knitting was done!

Pittlely Projects. . .

I'm all about "pittlely" -- those little projects that keep me busy so I can avoid the pressing responsibilities of life -- grading papers, cleaning house, balancing my checkbook.

Here are some little pittles that have occupied me lately. . .

1. The Spritely Elf's sister needed slipper socks. These are made with Berroco Comfort chunky, plain stockinette, 5-stitches per inch. I feel bad I didn't embellish them. . .




2) A charity sweater (T-top pattern) for my mom's church group that sends handknit sweaters to Africa. Yarn is Hobby Lobby "Love this yarn." It's probably a size 2 or 3.


3. Flower Hat from Mr. Funky's pattern book. Crocheted. Gauge with this yarn was less than called for in the pattern, so it will be for a baby. Where can I find a BABY?




There are more pittlely projects on my other camera. . . I'll have to try to find them!

Spritely Elf Necessities: The Set

I had made some hats for my 9-year old niece Anna, but 6-year old Sophie wasn't too keen on having one until she decided that maybe she would like me to make her an elf hat.

When I asked if she would rather have an elf hat or shoes, she twisted her lips to the side, and concentrated very hard. Her face brightened with a huge grin as she said, "The SET!"

How could I refuse?

Recipe for Felted Elf Slippers.

Materials:

1 skein Lion Brand Wool in green elf color (or other 100% worsted weight wool)

1 skein DK weight Comfort yarn, in a matching color (will be used for cuff)

small bit of scrap acrylic yarn in a contrasting color

Beads and embroidery floss for embellishment

Suede slipper soles by Stonehenge Clothing, and matching acrylic yarn to sew them on.

Needles:
size 10 double points
size 5 double points

Pattern:

CO 36 stitches with one strand of the Lion Brand Wool, size 10 needles. You will need a loose gauge, approximately 3.5 stitches per inch.

Begin your sock from the top in stockinette stitch, following any basic sock pattern . Continue until you reach the toe area.

Use "Elf toe" pattern by Storm in the Attic. Available free at:
http://www.stormopzolder.nl/DIY.htm#free

Weave an acrylic yarn or some other non-feltable yarn through each stitch at top. You will later unpick these stitches and use the little holes left to pick up stitches for the cuff.

As you can see, before they were little, they were BIG! (They fit a size 8 woman's foot.)

Felt slippers in hot water in washing machine with a little bit of wool soap.

Note: This yarn felts very quickly!

When the slippers reach an appropriate elf-size, roll them in a towel to soak up extra water, shape and dry. Tug a little on the point of the slipper to get it to look nice and elfy.

When dry, sew on the suede slipper bottoms, available from Stonehenge Clothing Etsy shop. This is really much easier to do BEFORE you knit the cuff, as you can reach inside the slipper easier. (I tried it both before and after!)

Now make the cuff. Pick out the contrasting yarn one stitch at a time, and using a small crochet hook, pick up a stitch in each hole with the DK weight cotton yarn. Place stitches on size four size 5 double point needles (you should have 36 stitches at this point). Knit 2x2 rib for approximately 3 inches, BO loosely in pattern.

Add beads, bobbles and embroidery floss to adorn the Elf Slippers.

Disclaimer: If there are any mistakes in either the slipper or hat recipes, I'm sure it was the forest GOBLINS that tried to mess them up. Please let me know if you find anything that needs to be changed!

Recipe for a Spritely Elf Hat

Size: Small to Medium Elf Size (21" circumference)

Materials:
2 skeins Berroco Comfort DK in leaf green

beads and embroidery floss for adornment

Needles:

1 size 9 16" circular or dbl points, as you prefer

1 size 8 16" circular

Instructions:
Using size 9 circular, CO 72 stitches.

With size 8 circular work one row K1 P1 rib, and when you come to the end of the row, join to work in the round. (When you are done, close up the little gap with the yarn tail.)

Continue with the size 8 circular needle and knit approximately 6 rows, or 1 inch.

Switch back to size 9 circular needle, and working in stockinette, increase (knit front & back) every 8th stitch (you will be increasing in a purl stitch.)

Work the 81 stitches in the round for approximately 26 rows, or 4 inches.

Begin decreases as follows:
Place marker at the beginning.
Knit 7, SSK, repeat around.
Knit 4 rows even.
Knit 6, SSK, repeat around.
Knit 2 rows even.
Knit 5, SSK, repeat around.
Knit 4 rows even.
Knit 4, SSK, repeat around.
Knit 3 rows even.
Knit 3, SSK, repeat around.
Knit 2 rows even.
Knit 2, SSK, repeat around.
Knit 1, SSK, repeat around.
SSK around.
SSK around, knitting last single stitch together with the first SSK of the previous round.
You should now have 4 stitches left.

Work a 4 stitch I-cord for approximately 1/2 inch, BO, and then stick yarn tail through to back side and weave in end.

Embellish with beads and/or embroidery, however the elfly spirits move you!

Give THE SET to any deserving elf and watch her dance through the forest!

Sweater in Action

Baby Cate is wearing the crocheted sweater I made for her last year! (See post of 2/19/08: "Baby it's Cold Outside!")

Pink for a Girl

One of my good friends recently became a Grandma, so I very happily made a little cardi for her granddaughter.

Pattern: Baby Bolero, from One Skein, by Leigh Radford

Yarn: Berroco Comfort, 1 skein

Little baby is so tiny and so beautiful! It will be a little while before she can wear the sweater, but it's still a warm fall here in Tulsa, so that's okay.

The back has a little lace detail made by yarn overs and K2T.




Notes: Next time, would definitely do the sleeves top down, rather than sewn in. Also, need to remember to do crochet provisional cast on, rather than long tail with waste yarn (too hard to
pick apart.) Also, did some decreasing for neck, rather than binding off at center back.

Besides getting to hold the darling baby, the little chihuahua puppy who lives at the baby's house entertained me for awhile, too. She apparently likes to sleep next to baby!

Little Miss Sunshine

A couple of years ago, I made a dress for Niece A. It was too big for her at the time, and I totally forgot about it. It was one of those FOs I never took a picture of.

Niece and family came to visit a couple of weeks ago, and lo and behold, there she was, in her dress of yellow. A little Miss Sunshine if I ever saw one!

Pattern: My one, I scribbled it down somewhere, but it has probably gone into the black hole. . .

Yarn: Cotton Tots (cheap, but really one of my favorite kid yarns!)

Baby It's Cold Outside

Baby C was born a couple of weeks ago. Here she is with her mom, my husband's nephew's wife. So, here I am, a great-aunt for the fourth time. Of course, this is on my husband's side of the family, my MUCH OLDER husband. TeeHee!

Baby C is now the owner of the much-made "Baby It's Cold Outside" crocheted sweater that I found on Ravelry. It was a fun, easy and best of all, QUICK project.

Pattern: Baby It's Cold Outside by Julie Armstrong (free pattern on internet)

Yarn: Bernat Bamboo Natural Blends (acrylic/bamboo). I think I used a size K hook.

Recipient: New Great-Niece C

Size: 6 months.

Comments: I only had one minor one glich with the sleeve, but that was an operator-error and easily fixed. I would probably make this again, but would use a different (better quality) yarn.

Little Boy Red Sweater

Pattern: My own, with help from Sweater Wizard. V-Neck Cardigan, Size 1. Sewed-in zipper, patch pockets.

Yarn: Patons Shetland Chunky

Recipient: Nephew E

Notes: I actually made this a year ago, so I can't really remember what I did, but for the trim, I think I wove a blue strand in and out between the garter stitch bands at cuffs, neck and bottom edges, and pocket tops.

Not having the recipient on hand while making the sweater, I didn't realize the sleeves would be a little short and the v-neck so long! Sigh. Lucky that little nephew looks cute in anything!

Cozy Socks

Pattern: Cozy Socks for Kids
Designer: Sue Dial
Source: 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders (ed. J. Durant)
Yarn: Stash yarn
Recipient: Niece S, age 4

Mods: Used stash yarn instead of the Harvest Moon Angoras Handspun Bulky Singles as designed. Also, instead of the pattern cuff, which alternates 4 rounds of purl with 4 rounds of knit four times, I did 10 rows of garter stitch. Then, when done, I decided they needed a little bit of festiveness about them, so I added the fluffy yarn cuff by single crocheting about 9 rows, and then folding over and tacking down. Voila, little Santa's helper socks!

Garden Shoes for Baby

Both booties really are the same size, I promise!


















Pattern: Garden Shoes designed by Stella Smith in Simply Knitting Magazine, Oct. 2006, Issue 7.
Yarn: Louisa Harding Kimono Angora (1 ball) in the brown/cream/orange/gray pathway.
For: Niece R. (given at baby shower)
Made Dec. 2006
****************

The blue pair here are made from Berroco suede yarn.
These booties are both the same size, too -- I should be more
careful how I take my pictures! These were made for a friend of my daughter who had a baby last year.

Blue Suede Shoes

Yarn: Berrocco suede

Pattern: I'll get back to you on this. . .

Baby Vest

Pattern: My own, with help from Sweater Wizard, knitted as one piece, 3 needle shoulder bind-off, garter-stitch neck and arm bands.

Size: Baby (!)

Yarn: Blue Skies Organic Cotton in Nut and Pebble (It's really soft, but invisible fluffies kept getting in my eyes and nose as I was knitting with it!) I didn't block it, and don't know how it will wash, but since it's almost summer, I thought cotton was the best choice for yarn.

Recipient: My friend's grandson

Barefoot Knits Items

Pattern: Barefoot Knits

Mods: Tank Dress: Put a contrasting color of seedstitch between the top and bottom, and put a seed stitch border at the bottom of skirt to keep it from rolling. Top and Skirt: None.

Yarn: Cotton Fleece

Recipient: My nieces

Trashed Knit

Pattern: Something from the Yarn Girls Guide for Kids

Yarn: Encore worsted -- a good yarn for kids since it's washable, and a perfect pink girlie color, but the yarn had knots and weak spots, soI had to keep cutting it. Urgh. I persevered, and finished the sweater for my niece. . . but then I decided the sleeves were too short, and I tried to snip a yarn to undo the seaming. . . and CUT the knit fabric of the body! Aarrggghh! So there you go. A lovely trashed knit. It was just too frustrating.

Das Sweater

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's Tomten Jacket

Yarn: Encore worsted

Recipient: a colleague's son